Yet the DeNA-owned company is still hiring in several departments. Curiouser and curiouser. TechCrunch reports that ngmoco, the mobile games company responsible for Rolando and Godfinger (by Wonderland Software), has laid off some 30 staff, including its (relatively new) CMO and other senior employees. One of its games has been shut down, while another has been "pared down," according to TechCrunch, citing a nameless source.

It's strange news, especially considering the mobile game developer-turned-publisher was bought by Japanese mobile social game giant DeNA last year for a whopping $400 million. What makes this even more shocking is the fact that ngmoco had been acquiring developers like Akatama Labs and signing game partnerships mere months prior. Ngmoco CEO Neil Young provided TechCrunch with this:

Armed with the insights we've gained from both the Western and Japanese markets and after completing the integration of a series of key acquisitions, we've organized our global operations to best support and deliver on our mission to build the leading Global Social Mobile Game Platform company. We're incredibly proud of our company and our products. We thank everyone that has helped us get to where we are today.

Somehow, Young managed to shed not a sliver of light on the reason behind neither the alleged layoffs nor why it's still hiring amidst supposed layoffs. According to TechCrunch, these changes are normal after such large buyouts, though it's the first time this writer has heard of such a thing, given ngmoco's particular situation. At any rate, we imagine it's full steam ahead for the global mobile social game network, Mobage.